1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to wall stud finders and, more particularly, to stud finders that include a line-laser.
Stud finders have long been used to locate studs in walls. Typically, the studs are covered with gypsum wall board, also known as sheetrock, or some other type of covering material.
It is important to locate the studs for a variety of purposes, for example, picture hanging and the general fastening of objects to the wall that require a more substantial support base. By locating the position of the stud or studs nearest to the object being secured to the wall, it is possible to anchor the object directly to the stud or studs in the wall. This provides optimally strong support for the object being attached to the wall.
Magnets have been used in a variety of different types of prior art stud finders to locate nail heads that are embedded just below the surface of the sheetrock. The magnet is commonly mounted on a pivot and, as the stud finder is passed over the surface of the wall, the magnet pivots in response to a change in the magnetic force as it passes over a nail (or screw) head. One of the oldest ways to locate a stud is to pass a fixed magnet over the wall and note areas of magnetic attraction when passing over a nail or screw head.
The nails (or screws) are used to secure the sheetrock to the wall. They are driven through the sheetrock and into the studs that are disposed on the opposite side of the sheetrock. Accordingly, by locating a nail it is possible to also identify the location of the stud.
The use of a line laser is also generally known in building construction. The line laser device is typically placed on a tripod in a room and is used to project a vertical line on the wall. The vertical line is typically aligned with the location of a stud, for example, over a nail head that has been previously identified and marked.
Other prior art types of stud finders employ various techniques to locate the edges of a stud in a wall. With these stud finders it is necessary to mark the wall to indicate the location of the stud or the edges of the stud.
It is undesirable to leave a mark on the wall indicating where a stud is located. The mark may show and is unsightly. It requires cleanup and possible painting over the mark.
Other prior art types of devices which are capable of projecting a visible line on the wall and which include a line laser as a part thereof require the use of an adhesive tape or a pair of nails (or other fasteners) to retain the device proximate the wall. The tape, nails, or fasteners that are used to secure these prior art types of devices to the wall also mar the wall's surface. Nails or other fasteners leave visible holes in the wall that must later be spackled, sanded, and repainted. This takes considerable time to accomplish and is not desired.
It also takes time to locate a stud on a wall, mark the location of the stud, and then either scribe a line on the wall or align a line-laser with the mark on the wall.
The line is needed because the location of the stud over at least a portion of its vertical length must be known. This is because the nail that has been found or the mark that is placed on the wall may not be at the ideal vertical elevation for the task at hand, for example at the ideal height for hanging a picture.
The vertical line can, of course, be scribed on the wall by use of a pencil or pen and a level that is held plumb and adjacent to the mark on the wall. The vertical line that is scribed on the wall then indicates the location of the stud. However, the vertical line must then be removed and the surface possibly painted over after the project (i.e., hanging the picture or object) is completed.
It is desirable to provide a device that can locate a stud in a wall and simultaneously define a plumb, vertical orientation and also provide a visible line on the surface of the wall. It is also important that the device does not damage the wall. It is also desirable to be able to secure the device to the wall without the use of tape, nails, or other fasteners. It is especially desirable that the wall not be marked, scratched, or otherwise damaged by the device during its use.
Also, a prior art problem is that a magnet, including a rare earth type of magnet, may not provide enough force to secure a stud finder to a wall by the force of attraction between the magnet and a head of a nail disposed underneath.
This is due, largely to the fact that the depth of the nails is a variable that greatly affects a magnets holding force. The force generally decreases in proportion to the square of the distance. In other words, if a first nail is at a first depth below the gypsum surface and a second nail is at a second depth that is three times as deep below the gypsum surface, then the same magnet will only have about one-ninth the force with the second nail as compared to the first nail.
Accordingly, going from nail to nail or screw to screw it is likely that the magnet will, at times, not be able to support itself and anything else that is attached to the magnet, to the wall. When sheetrock is installed the nails (or screws) that are used to secure the sheetrock to the wall are each driven in a variable amount. Accordingly, a prior art type of magnet may have enough magnetic attraction (i.e., magnetic flux) to secure itself to some of the nails but will fall off of other, deeper nails. As this occurrence will be at random, a user would be frustrated to find that the magnet adheres to the wall only some of the time. When the frequency of adherence falls below a particular threshold amount, the frustration increases to the point where the user simply abandons use of the device.
Also, users often develop a dislike for complex devices that are used to perform relatively simple tasks. The complexity of such a device may cause the user to eventually abandon its use. There is growing appreciation, especially among building contractors, for simple, easy to use, reliable devices whenever possible.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a self-supporting stud finder with line-laser that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Stud finders and line lasers are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,336 to Goodrich, that issued on Oct. 30, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,218 to Levine, that issued on Oct. 9, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,907 to Levine et al., that issued on Sep. 18, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,433 to Wu, that issued on Jul. 17, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,341 to Murray, that issued on Jul. 3, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,209,021 to Clement, that issued on Apr. 24, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,183,885 to Nellessen, Sr. et al., that issued on Feb. 27, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,853 to Heger et al., that issued on Feb. 27, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,343 to Biary, that issued on Jan. 9, 2007;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,013,570 to Levine et al., that issued on Mar. 21, 2006;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,834 to Krantz, that issued on Dec. 14, 2004;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,034 to Li, that issued on Aug. 24, 2004;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,536 to Miller, Jr., that issued on Jun. 8, 2004;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,827 to Fazekas et al., that issued on Feb. 24, 2004;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,319 to Goodrich et al., that issued on Jan. 7, 2003;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,294 to Wun, that issued on May 8, 2001;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,806 to Hurl, Jr., that issued on Mar. 22, 1994;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,108 to Dufour, that issued on Sep. 15, 1992;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,131 to Podlesny et al., that issued on Jan. 23, 1990;
and including Design patents:
U.S. Design Pat. No. D555,017 to Steiner, et al., that issued on Nov. 13, 2007;
U.S. Design Pat. No. D530,232 to Gist, that issued on Oct. 17, 2006; and
U.S. Design Pat. No. D472,164 to Newton, that issued on Mar. 25, 2003.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.